BACKGROUND Policymakers have become increasingly concerned regarding the widespread exposure and toxicity of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS). While concerns exist about unequal distribution of PFAS contamination in drinking water, research is lacking. OBJECTIVES We assess the scope of PFAS contamination in drinking water in New Jersey (NJ), the first US state to develop regulatory levels for PFAS in drinking water. We test for inequities in PFAS concentrations by community sociodemographic characteristics. METHODS We use PFAS testing data for community water systems (CWS) (n=491) from the NJ Department of Environmental Protection (NJDEP) from 2019 to 2021 and demographic data at the block group level from the US Census to estimate the demographics of the NJ population served by CWS. We use difference in means tests to determine whether CWSs serving "overburdened communities" (OBCs) have a statistically significant difference in likelihood of PFAS detections. OBCs are defined by the NJDEP to be census block groups in which: a) at least 35% of the households qualify as low-income, b) at least 40% of the residents identify as people of color, or c) at least 40% of the households have limited English proficiency. We calculate statewide summary statistics to approximate the relative proportions of sociodemographic groups that are served by CWSs with PFAS detections. RESULTS We find that 63% of all CWSs tested by NJDEP from 2019 to 2021 had PFAS detections in public drinking water, collectively serving 84% of NJ's population receiving water from CWSs. Additionally, CWSs serving OBCs had a statistically significant higher likelihood of PFAS detection and a higher likelihood of exposure above state MCLs. We also find that a larger proportion of people of color lived in CWS service areas with PFAS detections compared to the non-Hispanic white population. DISCUSSION These findings quantitatively identify disparities in PFAS contamination of drinking water by CWS service area and highlight the extent of PFAS drinking water contamination and the importance of PFAS remediation efforts for protecting environmental health and justice. https://doi.org/10.1289/EHP12787.

中文翻译：

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量化 2019-2021 年新泽西州负担过重的社区饮用水中全氟烷基物质和多氟烷基物质 (PFAS) 水平的差异。


背景技术政策制定者越来越关注全氟烷基物质和多氟烷基物质(PFAS)的广泛暴露和毒性。尽管人们对饮用水中 PFAS 污染分布不均存在担忧，但仍缺乏研究。目标 我们评估新泽西州 (NJ) 饮用水中 PFAS 污染的范围，该州是美国第一个制定饮用水中 PFAS 监管水平的州。我们根据社区社会人口特征测试 PFAS 浓度的不平等。方法 我们使用新泽西州环境保护部 (NJDEP) 2019 年至 2021 年的社区供水系统 (CWS) (n=491) PFAS 测试数据和美国人口普查的街区组级别人口数据来估计由 CWS 服务的新泽西州人口。我们利用经济状况差异测试来确定为“负担过重的社区”(OBC) 服务的 CWS 在检测 PFAS 的可能性方面是否存在统计上的显着差异。 NJDEP 将 OBC 定义为人口普查街区群体，其中：a) 至少 35% 的家庭符合低收入条件，b) 至少 40% 的居民被认定为有色人种，或 c) 至少 40 % 的家庭英语水平有限。我们计算全州范围内的汇总统计数据，以估算具有 PFAS 检测的 CWS 所服务的社会人口群体的相对比例。结果 我们发现，2019 年至 2021 年 NJDEP 测试的所有 CWS 中，有 63% 在公共饮用水中检测到 PFAS，总共服务于从 CWS 获取水的新泽西州 84% 的人口。此外，服务于 OBC 的 CWS 检测到 PFAS 的可能性在统计上显着更高，并且暴露于州 MCL 之上的可能性也更高。 我们还发现，与非西班牙裔白人相比，居住在检测到 PFAS 的 CWS 服务区的有色人种比例更大。讨论 这些发现定量地确定了 CWS 服务区饮用水 PFAS 污染的差异，并强调了 PFAS 饮用水污染的程度以及 PFAS 修复工作对于保护环境健康和正义的重要性。 https://doi.org/10.1289/EHP12787。